Valentine’s Day cocktail: Between the Sheets

Much as I like a pink cocktail, I’ll go for a suggestively named drink even more. Note: suggestively named. I don’t know who really orders drinks likethe Slippery Nipple, the Screaming Orgasm, etc – I couldn’t bring myself to.

The Between the Sheets is a Prohibition-era cocktail, possibly invented by Harry McElhone at Harry’s New York Bar, and certainly a child of the Sidecar (cognac, triple sec and lemon juice). I like to think the name was delightfully risqué at the time, and orders for it carried a frisson of naughtiness. Here we replace half of the cognac with light rum, and end up with a slightly more summery version of the original. I even find that the rum dominates here. It’s definitely not the pure magic of a Sidecar, but it’s delicious nonetheless and I’ll always drink any sour you give me.

Recipes vary as to the proportions, but the Serious Eats version (as ever) works for me. I may have even gone a little heavier on the lemon juice… You can definitely play around with it to taste.

Sounds like a great recipe, and with a much more ‘orderable’ name than the others you mentioned. I always felt awkward as a barman if anyone asked me for a Screaming Orgasm, it was always greeted with the same lewd jeers and innuendos from the rest of the bar!
Rory,http://teaandthat.com

I did indeed, I would definitely emphasise barman over mixologist though as my cocktail knowledge was a little shaky (just realised that sounds like a terrible play on words).
Yeah it wasn’t too much fun when those drinks were ordered, probably mostly down to the clientele though I think!